An impromptu series of considerations after a casual training session. Probably nothing new to F-4 and F-14 players, but perhaps some points will trigger an interesting discussion with your crew.
The idea behind this video came from a post I read on ED’s forum about having an in-game F-4E kneeboard page that does pretty much everything (from course and distance to time and fuel). An idea I found very much not feasible.
However, with a bit of the usual ingenuity and the very same rule of thumbs we apply in-cockpit, we can definitely plan something basic in just a few minutes. A more complex solution definitely requires something ad hoc; something that should come from ED itself, and should be fully integrated in DCS.
This 1970s technique is one of the least intuitive I have discussed so far. However, after going deeper into its mechanics, it turned out to be very flexible and quite easy to follow.
Visual/Radar Fix updates are, historically, the go-to methods of performing an INS Fix Update. This article introduces them along with considerations from “Vulture”, a former F-4E WSO and Heatblur SME.
“Old” players may remember the GPS update I suggested for the F-14 Tomcat years ago. The NS430 is back, with an unexpected supporter.
Inertial Navigation Systems’ tendency to drift can be partially addressed by updating the “Fix”. Several techniques can be used; this video shows how to perform an INS Fix Update via TACAN, GCI or Bullseye.
Bullseye and Nav references increase situational awareness and ease navigation. The F-4E-45MC’s AN/ASN-63 INS does not provide ad hoc tools to take advantage of them. However, the crew can easily overcome limitations with the here-discussed tools and some practice.
